Rubber Shoe Sole with an Air Cell and Method for Making the Same

ABSTRACT

A method for making a rubber shoe sole with an air cell includes: a first curing step including putting rubber raw material into a mould assembly to form a lower member and an upper member of the shoe sole; a second curing step including putting raw material at a conjunction of the lower member and the upper member, pressing the lower and upper members against each other, and hot melting the rubber raw material to bond the lower and upper members together, whereby to form the air cell between the lower and upper members after the lower and upper members are bonded together; and a finishing step including demoulding and trimming the lower and upper members which have been bonded together by hot melting, so that a final product of the rubber shoe sole with an air cell is obtained.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shoe sole, and more particularly to a rubber shoe sole with an air cell and a method for making the same.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Normally, a shoe sole is made of rubber material due to the fact that rubber material is flexible, durable and bendable. However, the existing shoes sole made of rubber material are all solid structures due to technology limitation.

To provide the rubber made shoe sole with better buffering capability, the existing shoe soles are mostly provided with air cells. The method of assembling the air cells is such that, the air cells are coated with a layer of adhesive, then dried with a dryer or directly put in the receiving chambers of a sole. After the air cells are adhered to the sole, the insole is glued to the air cells and the sole. This method is too complicate and seriously affects the manufacturing cost of the shoe sole.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a rubber shoe sole with an air cell and a method for making the same at a low manufacturing cost.

To achieve the above objective, a method for making a rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of: a first curing step including putting rubber raw material into a mould assembly to form a lower member and an upper member of the shoe sole; a second curing step including putting raw material at a conjunction of the lower member and the upper member, pressing the lower and upper members against each other, and hot melting the rubber raw material to bond the lower and upper members together, whereby to form the air cell between the lower and upper members after the lower and upper members are bonded together; and a finishing step including demoulding and trimming the lower and upper members which have been bonded together by hot melting, so that a final product of the rubber shoe sole with an air cell is obtained.

Preferably, the mould assembly includes a lower mould an upper mould and a middle mould between the lower and upper moulds, the lower member is formed between the lower and middle moulds to form the lower member, and the upper member is formed between the upper and middle moulds.

Preferably, the raw material for the second curing step is rubber raw material.

Preferably, heating temperature for the first curing step is 130-170° C., heating time for the first curing step is 200-400 seconds, and pressure for the first curing step is 140-160 pounds per square inch.

Preferably, heating temperature for the second curing step is 130-170° C., heating time for the first curing step is 150-350 seconds, and pressure for the first curing step is 140-160 pounds per square inch.

A rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the present invention comprises: a lower member made of rubber and including a first body, a first top surface, a first bottom surface, and a first lateral portion around a periphery of the first top surface; an upper member made of rubber and including a second body, a second bottom surface located toward the first top surface of the lower member, a second top surface, and a second lateral portion located around a periphery of the second bottom surface and fused with the first lateral portion of the lower member; and the air cell being formed between the lower member and the upper member.

Preferably, the upper member is further provided with a plurality of protrusions protruding from the second bottom surface, and each of the protrusions has a top fusion surface to be fused with the first top surface.

Preferably, the upper member is further provided with an air hole penetrating the second top surface and the second bottom surface, the air hole includes an air passage which consists of a first aperture located on the second top surface and a second aperture in communication with the first aperture and located inside the air cell.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is another cross sectional view of the rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the method for making the rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing the first curing step of the method for making the rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is another illustrative view showing the first curing step of the method for making the rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an illustrative view showing the second curing step of the method for making the rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a lower member 10, an upper member 20 and the air cell 30.

The lower member 10 is made of rubber and includes a first body 11, a first top surface 12, a first bottom surface 13, and a first lateral portion 14 around a periphery of the first top surface 12.

The upper member 20 is made of rubber and includes a second body 21, a second bottom surface 22 located toward the first top surface 12 of the lower member 10, a second top surface 23 opposite to the first top surface 12, and a second lateral portion 24 around a periphery of the second bottom surface 22 and fused with the first lateral portion 14 of the lower member 10. In this embodiment, the upper member 20 is further provided with a plurality of protrusions 25 protruding from the second bottom surface 22, and each of the protrusions 25 has a top fusion surface 251 to be fused with the first top surface 12 via a rubber raw material 43.

The air cell 30 is formed between the lower member 10 and the upper member 20.

Referring then to FIG. 4, a method for making the rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with the present invention comprises: a first curing step 51, a second curing step 52 and a finishing step 53.

The first curing step 51, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is to put rubber raw materials 41, 42 into a mould assembly 60 to form the lower member 10 and the upper member 20 of the shoe sole. The mould assembly 60 includes a lower mould 61, an upper mould 62 and a middle mould 63 between the lower and upper moulds 61, 62. The rubber raw material 41 is placed between the lower and middle moulds 61, 63 to form the lower member 10, and the rubber raw material 42 is placed between the upper and middle moulds 62, 63 to form the upper member 20. The lower mould 61 includes a lower cavity 611, the upper mould 62 includes an upper cavity 621, and the middle mould 63 includes a middle lower cavity (not shown) to cooperate with the lower cavity 611 and a middle upper cavity 631 to cooperate with the upper cavity 621. During the first curing step 51, heating temperature is 130-170° C. (preferably 150° C.), heating time ranges 200-400 seconds, preferably 300 seconds, and pressure is 140-160 pounds per square inch, preferably 150 pounds per square inch.

The second curing step 52, as shown in FIG. 7, includes putting rubber raw material 43 at a conjunction (namely, between the fusion surfaces 251 of the protrusions 25 of the upper member 20 and the first top surface 12, and between the first lateral portion 14 and the top lateral portion 24) of the lower member 10 and the upper member 20, pressing the lower and upper members 10, 20 against each other, and hot melting the rubber raw material 43 to bond the lower and upper members 10, and an air cell 30 will be formed between the lower and upper members 10, 20 after the lower and upper members 10, 20 are bonded together. In this embodiment, during the second curing step 52, heating temperature is 130-170° C. (preferably 150° C.), heating time ranges 150-350 seconds, preferably 250 seconds, and pressure is 140-160 pounds per square inch, preferably 150 pounds per square inch.

The finishing step 53 is to obtain a rubber shoe sole with an air cell by demoulding and trimming the lower and upper members 10, 20 which have been bonded together by hot melting.

The shoe sole made by the method of the present invention is a rubber shoe sole with better elasticity, wear resistance and flexibility. Since it is provided with an air cell, the shoe sole of the present invention will have a better shock absorption performance. The air cell is formed at the same time as the shoe sole, which simplifies the manufacturing process.

Referring to FIG. 8, a rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is similar to the first embodiment, except that:

The upper member 20 is further provided with an air hole 26 penetrating the second top surface 23 and the second bottom surface 22. The air hole 26 includes an air passage 66 which consists of a first aperture 661 located on the second top surface 23 and a second aperture 662 in communication with the first aperture 661 and located inside the air cell 30. With the air passage 66, the air cell 30 can be inflated or deflated to a desired pressure to better meet the needs of specific feet of different users.

Referring to FIG. 9, a rubber shoe sole with an air cell in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention is similar to the first embodiment, except that:

The upper member 20 is shaped to fit the heel portion of a user's feet rather than to fit the lower member 10.

While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for making a rubber shoe sole with an air cell comprising the following steps: a first curing step including putting rubber raw material into a mould assembly to form a lower member and an upper member of the shoe sole; a second curing step including putting raw material at a conjunction of the lower member and the upper member, pressing the lower and upper members against each other, and hot melting the rubber raw material to bond the lower and upper members together, whereby to form the air cell between the lower and upper members after the lower and upper members are bonded together; and a finishing step including demoulding and trimming the lower and upper members which have been bonded together by hot melting, so that a final product of the rubber shoe sole with an air cell is obtained.
 2. The method for making a rubber shoe sole with the air cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould assembly includes a lower mould an upper mould and a middle mould between the lower and upper moulds, the lower member is formed between the lower and middle moulds to form the lower member, and the upper member is formed between the upper and middle moulds.
 3. The method for making a rubber shoe sole with the air cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the raw material for the second curing step is rubber raw material.
 4. The method for making a rubber shoe sole with the air cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein heating temperature for the first curing step is 130-170° C., heating time for the first curing step is 200-400 seconds, and pressure for the first curing step is 140-160 pounds per square inch.
 5. The method for making a rubber shoe sole with the air cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein heating temperature for the second curing step is 130-170° C., heating time for the first curing step is 150-350 seconds, and pressure for the first curing step is 140-160 pounds per square inch.
 6. A rubber shoe sole with an air cell comprising: a lower member made of rubber and including a first body, a first top surface, a first bottom surface, and a first lateral portion around a periphery of the first top surface; an upper member made of rubber and including a second body, a second bottom surface located toward the first top surface of the lower member, a second top surface, and a second lateral portion located around a periphery of the second bottom surface and fused with the first lateral portion of the lower member; and the air cell being formed between the lower member and the upper member.
 7. The rubber shoe sole with the air cell as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upper member is further provided with a plurality of protrusions protruding from the second bottom surface, and each of the protrusions has a top fusion surface to be fused with the first top surface.
 8. The rubber shoe sole with the air cell as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upper member is further provided with an air hole penetrating the second top surface and the second bottom surface, the air hole includes an air passage which consists of a first aperture located on the second top surface and a second aperture in communication with the first aperture and located inside the air cell. 